LAHORE (Dunya News) - Young doctors’ strike across government hospitals in Punjab has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC).
Citizen Mazhar Abbas has filed a miscellaneous petition in the LHC against doctors’ strike through Advocate Safdar Shaheen.
The petitioner says the Young Doctors Association (YDA) has been on strike across government hospitals since June 15 after some doctors were detained on the pretext of fire incident in a teaching hospital of Sahiwal.
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The petitioner contended that patients were suffering due to doctors’ strike. It said the doctors were paid from government kitty but they were creating problems for patients instead of providing them timely treatment and cure.
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The petitioner pleaded court to direct the YDA to call off the strike immediately.
THE PLIGHT OF PATIENTS
Doctors have not been doing duty in OPDs of the hospitals across Punjab. Only emergencies are working.
More than 900,000 patients have been affected owing to strike in the OPDs. Surgeries and procedures of hundreds of patients have been cancelled.
However, talks are going on between the health department and doctors. It is expected that the talks will be fruitful and the YDA will call off strike.
Receipts counters at Mayo Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, General Hospital and Jinnah Hospital have been working.
Senior doctors and administration are working together to run OPDs in General, Services, Nawaz Sharif, Yakki Gate, Mian Munshi, and Samanabad hospitals.
Minister for Health Khwaja Imran Nazeer has asked doctors to call off their strike and hold talks. He said the government would not meet their demands under any pressure.
The YDA, on the other hand, is adamant and says it will continue strike until apology by the Punjab chief minister and resignation of health secretary.